Life, Death, Power and Chaos
by valuablenicola
Summary: What if Zoot didn't die in series 1. Set part way through 1x08. Trudy is still sick and Zoot has to be there for her. But will the Tribe accept him? And how will they react to Bray' secret?
1. Brotherly Love

Zoot trembled this stranger was attacking his brother. Bray was trying to say something, yet no-one was listening to him. He had to do something, he couldn't just stand here. He might hate his brother but that didn't mean that anyone could hurt him. He watched as Lex as he had been identified repeatedly hit Bray. He shook with anger. He was the King of the Loccos he didn't just stand by and watch this. He wasn't a coward. He stepped forward. "Fight me!" he shouted, Bray's eyes widened in fear for his brother.

"Martin! No!" Bray yelled. Lex and Ryan let go of Bray and charged at Zoot. "NO!" He screamed again and ran towards his brother who had stopped at the sound of his true name. Zoot glared at Bray, he hated people knowing his true as he had figured there were only three people alive who knew it. Bray, Trudy and Ebony. He suddenly thought of something. Where were Trudy and his baby? He wondered if it had a name. He had to admit on some level he was glad that Bray had found her and delivered his baby. At least it wasn't some total stranger. Yet why was it always his brother?

Lex and Ryan reached Zoot first and Lex punched him across the face and drew back to hit him again. "NO!" The scream surprised everyone. Trudy was standing at the foot of the stairs in one hand she held her - no Zoot reminded himself their - tiny baby. "Let him go" Her voice was ragged with pain and fear. She climbed the stairs and Zoot was able to see that her legs were trembling. Bray had been telling the truth. She was really sick.

"Trude!" His voice shocked himself for how weak it sounded. He really was winded. He saw he knees begin to buckle. "NO!" He shouted as she fainted. Lex and Ryan, who had loosened their grip on Zoot at Trudy's arrival, were completely shocked when he pulled out of their grip and was down the stairs to Trudy's side before she hit the ground. Bray was beside him in a minute. He lifted Trudy up and checked her pulse quickly. He nodded to Zoot. She was alive. Zoot took the little child from its mother's arms and held it to his chest. He could feel its little puffs of breath against his neck.

The Tribe watched in shock. Bray carefully shook Trudy a little and then checked her temperature. "Dal! She needs more anti-biotic!" He shouted. Dal hurried over to get them. Amber, Salene and Zandra watched in horror as the leader of the most feared tribe in the city clutched the small child tightly and rocked her soothingly.

"Zoot! Give the baby back!" Amber ordered she was admittedly terrified. The poor thing wasn't even a week old. She could see that Zandra and Salene were willing to tear the man to shreds but didn't in fear of hurting the baby.

"No!" This time it was Bray who spoke. "He doesn't need to. Why should he?" The crowd gasped at him.

"I am not putting her down." Zoot spoke in his most commanding voice. "I am the one who should be mad!" Trudy stirred as if she recognised Zoot's voice.

"Zoot?" The name tumbled off her lips and everyone jumped. Zoot kept passed his daughter to Bray and lifted Trudy into his arms. He glanced at Bray who walked up the stairs to be followed by his brother. They walked into Trudy's room and Zoot laid her on the bed. He kept his arm around her and he sat on the bed with her lying on his lap. The tribe followed them Lex and Amber at the front. Bray passed the baby to its father and turned to face the crowd that had gathered. He stood protectively in front of his brother, child and its mother.

"What is going on?" Lex growled. "I told you we couldn't trust him. Now we have the Loccos coming here."

"They're not coming. They don't know where I am." Zoot spoke but he didn't even face Lex. Instead his gaze was fixed on Trudy. He watched the rise and fall of her chest while at the same time, rocking is baby gently.

"You went to tell him where we were, the other day!" Chloe cried she stepped forward. Her face was tear-stained and she trembled all over. "You" She pointed at Bray, "told me that he wasn't going to hurt us. You said not to tell anyone about him." Her voice was shaking.

"Is this true?" Amber asked.

"Yes." Bray admitted. "However I was only bringing him here for one reason."

"To kill us all?" Lex asked in a bitter voice.

"No. To see my daughter." Zoot spoke in a voice that made Bray think of his younger brother once more.

"Your daughter?" Salene was in shock. She had nursed the baby and know to be told it was the child of one of the most evil leaders in the city.

"Yes. She left the Loccos a few weeks ago. I was worried about, her and then Bray found me and told me that she was ill and my baby was born." Zoot finally glanced at the watching crowd.

"Why did you tell him?" Zandra asked.

"Because he's my brother." Bray admitted in defeat.


	2. Various Reactions and a new member

"_Because he's my brother" Bray admitted in defeat._

There were several reactions in the group of people and Zoot watched each of them. The dark haired man was the first to recover. "I told you we couldn't trust him!" Lex yelled at them.

"Lex is right we should have listened to him" Said a girl with pink and blue hair. Another man nodded. The blond woman rolled her eyes.

"How could you Bray?" Asked the woman.

"After all that food, all that time. Hell Trudy wouldn't be alive without us!" The fiery haired woman in front of the children shouted. The three kids just watched Zoot and Bray their eyes wide with fear.

Bray didn't say anything he just stood there and let the mingled shouts roll over him. He was in a position that they would have to go through him first to harm Zoot or Trudy.

Zoot thought about the situation. Twenty minutes ago if he had been told there were a bunch of frightened kids hiding in a mall he would have attacked without thinking. Yet now there was something more important than Power and Chaos. Trudy and his baby, they needed him and this time he wasn't going to let his brother protect him.

"You don't know my brother at all!" Everyone turned to Martin as he spoke. He stood up and walked up to Bray. He stood next to him and looked at all of the people in front of him. "Bray didn't even want me to come here! He was trying to protect you! That's all my brother ever does, he cares about others. He sticks up for the weak and fights anyone who hurts someone he cares about! He doesn't want to fight you. I'm his brother! He's always stood up for me! Now's no different!"

"Here they are!" Dal came running into the room holding the bottle of pills. He looked at everyone and took in Zoot's blazing eyes, Bray's protective stance, Lex's glare and Amber and Salene standing in front of the kids.

"How many?" Zoot asked. He held out a hand and Dal passed the bottle over uncertainly.

"Two," Dal answered knowing that there wasn't much time to argue.

Amber recovered the power of speech first, "Is it true Bray?"

"Did you really think I wanted to hurt you? He might be my brother, but that doesn't mean I am like him!"

"You never did believe in Power and Chaos." Martin said. He walked to the bed lifted Trudy into his arms and gave her the pills carefully.

Trudy swallowed and turned fitfully in his arms. "Martin?" Her voice was very weak as she faintly called out in her sleep.

"What is it babe, I'm here?"

"Come on kids, we'll go back to bed." Salene said and led the little ones away ignoring their protests, Zandra went with her.

"Is it true?" Amber repeated the brothers gave her a questioning look. "You didn't want to hurt us?"

Bray nodded "Of course."

"You know he told me to leave the Loccos and join you. He cares about you. All of you. And my brother doesn't try to hurt anyone he cares about. Lord help us if anyone thought of hurting you now. Bray would be on them in a flash."

"Bray!" Trudy woke up screaming. Zoot's gaze hardened and suddenly Martin was gone Zoot was back.

Bray glanced at Lex and Ryan before kneeling next to the bed. Trudy flung her arms around his neck and sobbed into his shoulder.

"It was horrible." She whispered. Her whole body shaking. "Martin-"She stopped and turned realising that she had been lying on someone's lap. "Martin! You're alive!" She whipped away from Bray and was wrapped in his embrace too quickly for anyone to see. He put his arms on her back and held her tightly.

"Of course I'm alive Trude"

"You- you- fell. I saw your body you wouldn't move. I couldn't help. I couldn't do anything."

"Hey, hey it's okay. I'm here it's alright." She nodded into his chest. Zoot looked over her shoulder at Lex who was still watching him warily. "Lex" He called surprising everyone. They looked at him in shook. The king of the Loccos watched the man that had approached him a few days earlier.

"What Zoot?"

"You have a good security outfit here. Mind if I join?"

**A/N Ok so I know it's a strange ending but I found it really hard to write. It probably won't be my only attempt at Tribe fanfiction. But that's going to be it for now. I am not that fond of this story and might delete it. But do check out my other stories I promise they will be better written.**


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